


find my way back to you

by minttobe_treehill



Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2021 [3]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Family, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:22:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29850429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minttobe_treehill/pseuds/minttobe_treehill
Summary: “Okay so now you’re gonna call 911, I know you know how to do that, buddy”, he says, trusting his son.Written for Eddie Diaz Week. Day three: “We’re getting out of this” + competence.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2021 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2190585
Comments: 32
Kudos: 369





	find my way back to you

**Author's Note:**

> I'm almost two days behind, y i k e s.

Eddie hears a loud thud before he’s putting his whole body over Christopher and everything falls on them.

The check-up at the doctor had taken more time than expected. Eddie had asked Bobby for the whole morning off just in case, and thank God he made that decision. They went back to Chris’ school when there was still two hours of class, and even though Christopher had begged Eddie to just stay at home until he had to go to work, Eddie decided it was best to drop him off and then pick him up - he’s trying not to give in to Chris’ puppy eyes, he has enough with Buck’s. But now standing in the middle of what used to be a bathroom stall, the green walls trapping them inside and even what Eddie suspects is the ceiling all above and around them, he asks himself why he couldn’t have just given in. 

“Dad?”

Eddie is holding what suspects is the wall of the stall over his head and his arms, the same arms that are protecting his son’s body, his chest pressed against Chris’ head, who’s crunching down, with his own arms and hands over his face.

Eddie feels something wet over his left ear.

“Christopher, mijo. Are- Are you okay?”, he asks him, and is almost scared of how strangled his voice is.

“Dad”, he repeats, and Eddie can’t see his face but he knows he’s crying, “I’m okay, are you okay?”

And for a second Eddie can breathe again. He’s gonna have to check Chris when they get out of here but he seems okay, okay enough to talk, so that’s what he’s hanging on to now.

“Dad, are you okay?”, his son repeats.

Eddie’s arms threaten to give up. He suspects fragments of the ceiling and the ground above them - as long as other crap from the first floor - are pressing part of the broken wall on top of their bodies, that’s why it feels so heavy and why he can’t let go - it’d crush both their bodies if he did. 

“I- I’m okay, Chris, I’m- okay”, he manages to say. He wonders if there was someone else in the bathroom of the first floor since they were alone in this one, but he also wonders how long it’ll take for people to find out not just what happened - since the loud sound of everything crumbling down probably gave it away, but to find out they’re there. He doesn’t want to scare his son, so he goes for what he knows will help.

“Chris, hey, do you think you can move, turn around just a bit?”, he says, trying to sound calm. 

The door of the stall had fallen down too, right in front of them, almost creating a barrier between them and everything that crumbled down around them - but apart from that, Chris should be able to move slightly without putting himself in danger.

He hears Chris sniffle and his heart breaks a little. His son moves his hands and starts turning around to look at Eddie.

“Be careful, go slow, b-buddy”

“Okay”, he says, moving his body slowly and finally looking at his dad, his whole body facing him, neck slightly bent since Eddie’s body is still over him. 

“Hey”, he says, when he sees Chris’ eyes roam over his head, clearly looking at his arms and-

“Dad! You’re bleeding”, he says right before he starts crying again.

“Hey, hey, Chris, hey, look at me”, he says, finding the strength. 

When he does, Eddie tells himself he needs to be stronger for the both of them. “Listen to me, son, we’re getting out of this, I promise you. We’re both gonna be okay and we’re gonna work together to get out of this very soon, yeah?”

Chris swallows loudly, but nods.

“O-okay. Okay so, get your hand inside my pocket and grab my phone, can you do that?”, he asks him, sounding as calm as he can.

Christopher nods and Eddie can see the determination in his eyes. He moves his hands and grabs Eddie’s phone from the front pocket of Eddie’s jeans. He looks up, looking for answers in his dad’s eyes.

“Okay so now you’re gonna call 911, I know you know how to do that, buddy”, he says, trusting his son.

Christopher nods, “Maddie?”, he asks and Eddie smiles and nods. Just his son is able to make him smile in situations like this.

“And you’re gonna put us on speaker, like you do when I’m cooking and I ask you to call Buck, alright?”

He sees Chris nod and dial the three numbers, pressing the button and grabbing onto the phone, his eyes trained on the screen. 

“911, what’s your emergency?”

And _fuck_. That’s Maddie’s voice.

“Maddie, hey, it’s Eddie”, he says, the muscles in his arms whimpering against the wall.

“Eddie? Are you okay?”, she asks. And he hates the worry in her voice.

“Uh, hey, we’re at Chris’ school, the one th-”

“I know Christopher’s school, are you both there?”

Eddie sighs. “Y-yeah. Okay, yes. We were in the bathroom on the first floor when for some reason everything tumbled down over us, I’m not sure if there’s anyone hurt, I can’t hear or see anybody else. I’m holding down what seems to be the stall’s door and we’re both okay, but this is a bit heavy”, he says, laughing, trying not to scare Christopher.

“I’m sending them your way. Are you sure you’re okay? Are you hurt?”

Eddie is gonna say no, when Christopher beats him to it. “Dad is bleeding!”

“Eddie”, she says, and for a second it almost feels like she’s reprimanding him like she does with Buck when he refuses to ask for help.

“I- Yeah, Maddie, my head seems to be bleeding a bit but it’s controlled, and I can’t feel it being deep, I promise”, he says, giving all the strength that’s left in him. 

“They’re already in your way. Chris, how are you feeling?”, she asks. And God, _bless her_. 

“I’m worried about dad”, he says, holding the phone closer to his face.

“I’m ok- _Ugh_ , I’m okay”, he says.

Chris frowns and Maddie keeps talking. She must have understood Eddie needs the strength that’s left in him to keep them safe. She asks about school and about Chris’ science project and Eddie wants to laugh because of course Buck has told her about that. He can’t feel his arms anymore and he feels his left ear wetter than before, but his vision isn’t blurry and he’s gonna hang on to this wall even if it’s the last thing that he does.

Everything happens so quickly after that. Maddie keeps talking to Chris and making sure Eddie is still holding on, and they’re in the middle of a conversation Eddie loses track of when they hear some voices and rumbling, for a second Eddie is scared everything is gonna fall on them, and then-

“LAFD! Eddie, Chris! Shout so we know exactly where you are”

Eddie and Christopher share a look and Eddie knows exactly what his son is hiding behind his eyes. It’s Buck’s voice, and they both know they’re gonna get out of this.

“Buck! Buck! Buck! We’re here, Buck”, Chris shouts and Eddie would be smiling if he could because he’s so proud of his son.

“Over here!”, he hears what seems to be Bobby’s voice.

When Eddie’s arms are about to give up, suddenly he sees Buck’s face over the mess, over the crumbled ceiling and the destroyed stalls - Chris notices and turns around, and he can hear the way he cries out his name. He sees his eyes and the frown between his eyebrows, how he scans the situation before his eyes lock with Christopher’s and then Eddie’s, suddenly moving towards his arms and somewhere over his eyes. The blood, Eddie’s sure. So when his eyes return to his and he sees Buck is about to say something, he steps in.

“Take him”, he says, and he doesn’t need to say anything else.

Buck’s jaw tightens but he nods. They’ve managed to clear the space between their bodies and what seems to be the broken mirror under one of the sinks. He sees Buck moving quickly, crossing the distance between them and grabbing Christopher by his waist, picking him up and pressing him against his body. He sees the way his son hides his face in Buck’s necks, but he suddenly turns around, looking at Eddie.

“Dad! Buck, help dad!”

Buck moves his right hand to Chris’ back and caresses him gently, stepping backwards but keeping his eyes on Eddie before they drop to Chris’ face. “Bobby and Chim are gonna help dad, you listen to me? He’s gonna be with us in just a minute”, he says.

Buck lifts his head over Christopher and looks at a point Eddie’s eyesight can’t place.

“But now you’re gonna go with Hen here and she’s gonna check on you, okay? We wanna make sure you’re okay, buddy”

“No! I’m not leaving without dad”, he screams.

Eddie feels the weight over his arm less heavy than before, and he can hear Bobby and Chim working over him. His arms start trembling, the change in the weight he’s been holding on for minutes sending a shock to his muscles - so when he can barely feel the weight of the door over him, his arms give up and he lets go but the door doesn’t fall over him. With his arms still mid-air, he checks over his shoulder and sees Chim holding the door, Bobby almost over him, clearing the space. 

“We got you, Diaz”, Chim says. “Let’s get you out of here”, he says with a slight smile on his face.

“Is Chris okay?”, he asks, looking between both of them.

He doesn’t get a verbal response, instead Bobby just looks to the other side of the now destroyed bathroom. Eddie follows his eyes and he sees Buck still holding Christopher against his body, Hen checking him - or at least trying to, because Chris can’t stop laughing and squirming, Buck’s fingers tugging at his sides, tickling him.

Eddie sighs and lets Chim and Bobby do the rest. 

-*-

After a few minutes, Eddie is sitting in the ambulance, Hen just barely starting to work on the wound by the top of his ear. He was right - it’s not a deep wound, but it’s gonna leave a scar for a few weeks. He can see Christopher from where he’s sitting, playing with Buck and Bobby a few steps away from him. Chris was the first person Eddie hugged when they managed to get him out of the school, people gathering around them, having heard the crash but unaware there were people inside. Eddie still kind of feels in shock, not being able to explain the fear he felt when the ceiling caved over them. 

“How are your arms?”, Hen says, taking him away from his thoughts.

Eddie nods, forming a tight line with his lips. “Still feel a bit numb, I can’t move them properly but I’m sure I’ll be okay”, he says, swallowing hard.

“I’m Eddie Diaz and I can’t take a break”, Hen mocks him.

Eddie starts laughing genuinely and then makes a face, trying to be nonchalant even though he knows she’s right. And Hen knows too.

“Let’s clean this up then”

Eddie’s eyes move to a spot over Hen’s head and his hands start trembling before he can even try to stop it.

“Can I?”, Buck asks, looking at Hen from the side.

Eddie stares at him and presses his lips together, this time trying to contain the smile that threatens to appear on his face. He feels Hen’s eyes on Buck and then on him, so he looks down, feeling shy.

“Sure, lover boy”, she says before leaving, a clear amused tone on her voice.

Eddie is still looking at the ground when he feels cold gentle fingers over his chin. He looks up and sees Buck’s body is closer to him, crowding over him but not in a threatening or uncomfortable way - never. He gives in and moves his head up, Buck’s fingers guiding him. 

Buck starts cleaning the wound in silence and Eddie just stares at him. He hasn’t said a word since he got Christopher out of the bathroom, even though he’s been feeling his eyes on him since the moment he held Christopher in his arms again. Buck’s always bubbly, this kind of halo around his head that’s always making him seem like he’s floating instead of walking wherever he goes. He’s charming, charismatic, kind, gentle. So there’s something in Eddie’s chest that doesn’t let him breathe whenever Buck is quiet - like right now, a stern expression on his face as he keeps working on Eddie’s wound.

“I hate it when you’re quiet”

Buck presses his lips together and patches up Eddie’s wound. He puts everything away and looks down, swallowing and sighing loudly. When he looks up, he seems sad and scared.

“Maddie texted me saying it was you and Chris”, he simply says.

Eddie’s eyes move frantically but never leaving Buck’s, trying to understand what Buck is feeling right now. And suddenly he realizes he doesn’t have to, he _knows_. The pain, the fear in the pit of your stomach, the way your heartbeat picks up immediately. He’s lived that way too many times - every single one with Buck. Buck pinned underneath a fire truck, Buck throwing up blood, Buck trapped in a fire. And he knows it would’ve been a worse pain than all of those if he had known Buck and Christopher were in the middle of that tsunami sooner. But he tries not to dwell on things that he can’t change - he’s trying to tell himself that more often. So when he looks into Buck’s eyes, he doesn’t have to guess anything, he _knows_.

He moves his arms forward, groaning when he remembers how his muscles aren’t feeling okay yet - but he does it anyway, he grabs Buck’s arm slightly, over the gear, trying to give him some comfort.

“We’re here, we’re okay”

And apparently that’s exactly what Buck was asking for, because he just throws his body forward and hugs Eddie tight. He can feel his nose pressed against his neck and Eddie closes his eyes, hugging Buck tighter - fuck the pain in his arms, this is exactly what he needed too. He was so scared, scared for Christopher but also for himself, and he realises Buck is also guilty of that, of making him feel like he’d miss so many things if he just gave up. He knows the competence he showed in that bathroom stall - hell, the competence both Chris and himself showed there is also thanks to Buck, to the way he shows them everyday that they’re worth it, that he loves them with every fibre of his body and how that love is all they both need to be strong, stronger together.

Eddie moves his head slightly, brushing his nose against Buck’s ear and feeling protected, safe, something he never thought he’d need. “Don’t ever do that to me again”, he hears in a quiet voice, feeling the vibrations of Buck’s chest against his.

He smiles. _To me_.

“I promise not to be in a bathroom stall when it decides to crumble down”, he almost whispers to Buck’s ear. 

He laughs and Eddie feels it in his body. What he also feels is Buck’s breath against his neck and then his lips on his skin, a warm and soft touch that only makes him hug Buck closer to his body, even if it feels impossible by the way he’s not sure where his legs are and where Buck’s begin, unaware of any part of his body that isn’t touching the man in his arms right now. Eddie brushes Buck’s skin with his nose again and hopefully it conveys the same emotions Buck just made him feel with that small brush of his lips.

When he hears a steady noise coming closer, he lifts his head slightly and smiles at the sight. “I think someone else wants a hug”, he whispers.

He feels Buck’s arms slide against his own and he hisses. Buck looks at him, still surrouding him with his body and whispers a quiet _I’m sorry_ that Eddie lets go with a small smile. Buck turns around, keeping his left hand hovering over Eddie’s wrist and looks down at Christopher, who’s already smiling up at him.

“Hey buddy”, he says with a big smile on his face.

Before Eddie can say anything, Hen approaches them, almost appearing out of nowhere. She looks at Eddie and then looks quickly at Buck with a shy smile on her face. She inspects Eddie’s cut, now bandaged up, and gives a small approval to Buck, who’s already too lost in making Christopher smile to notice it.

“I’m okay, Hen”, he says, meaning it this time.

“Oh, I know”, she says, clearly understanding what he means. “But I’d advise you to stay with someone tonight, just in case you have any headaches or your arms don’t start feeling better in a couple of hours”, she tells him, looking serious for a moment.

Eddie presses his lips together and an excuse is cut off by Buck, who holds Christopher’s hand in his and speaks up. “I’m staying with them, don’t worry”, he says, sharing a look with Hen and then locking his eyes on Eddie’s. He sees determination and kindness, and _love_. 

All Eddie can do is nod and smile. And he’s more than okay with that. 

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly don't know how to write things that aren't just pure fluff, so apologies for this weird thing. 
> 
> How does a bathroom just manage to crumble down like that? Well, don't tune in next week if you want to find out because I have no idea, folks. So, yeah, apologies for that too?


End file.
